According to AnTuTu the fastest phone at the moment (Q4 2019) is – Asus ROG Phone II.
While I was recently using a benchmark test to try and deplete my phone’s battery faster, I started thinking, what is the fastest smartphone on the market. Here’s what I found.
Top 3 Fastest Phones
The top 3 fastest phones according to AnTuTu are
- ROG Phone 2
- Asus ZenFone 6 2019
- OnePlus 7 Pro
So yes, two Asus phones top the list right now. The ROG (Republic Of Gamers) Phone II and the ZenFone 6 2019. They snatched the top spots from OnePlus 7 Pro.
In 2019, ASUS shift its focus to the gaming-oriented segment, but the brand has committed to making more ZenFone products as well.
Let’s have a closer look now at the fastest smartphone in the world.
Asus ROG Phone II
After the powerful ROG Phone I that was released on October 2018, Asus cranked it up to 11 with the ROG Phone II. With the experience of the first phone and a suitcase full of accessories (literally), it’s set to conquer the world (at least the mobile gaming world).
The accessories suitcase contains:
- The Lightning Armor is a case that snaps onto the phone
- The Kunai GamePad
- The TwinView Dock
- A mobile desktop dock
- The AeroActive Cooler 2
- WiGig display dock
The design of the second rendition remains largely the same but the specs have been bumped up hard.
6.6 inch screen, Snapdargon 855 Plus, up to 12 GB of RAM, 48 MP front camera and 6000 mAh battery – it’s no wonder it costs $900. Bundled with all the accessories it will make a dent of $2000.
A hard-anodized, matte black metal band forms the core of the phone. The screen is covered with Corning Gorilla Glass 6 for armour against bumps and drops. The curved edges of the back glass make the ROG Phone II more natural to hold in normal use. A 6.59” diagonal screen size makes this one of the larger phones around, but its 19.5:9 aspect ratio means that it remains comfortable to use in one hand.
The real fun starts on the back of the phone. Subtle holographic inlays accentuate the angular openings for the twin camera system and dual-tone LED flash. Another matte-black accent draws the eye to the copper vent for the massive cooling system hidden inside the device. Buyers outside of China will get a version of the phone finished with a matte texture rather than the mirror gloss.
Let’s cover some of the pressing concerns with these types of phones.
The Performance
The ROG Phone II is one of the most powerful phones that you can buy, and it’s easy to see the results of this hardware in action. There’s absolutely no slowdown while using apps and games, and switching between them is nearly instantaneous. A few things inside of the phone contribute to that: the Snapdragon 855 Plus processor that was created to be faster and more efficient during gaming, the speedy UFS 3.0 storage, and its 12GB of RAM.
The Verge
The Battery
Everyone’s favourite subject – the battery. The battery is a huge 6000 mAh. A 6000 mAh battery combined with Qualcomm’s highest-performing, power-efficient Snapdragon 855 Plus mobile platform offers smooth frame rates and enviable battery life for everything you may need to do during a full day of work and play.
You can get a little over seven hours of Pokémon Go and two hours of navigation out of the ROG Phone II, all interspersed with your usual dose of web browsing plus Facebook Messenger and texting apps.
This phone routinely lasts two to three days with mixed-use, even with the display set to 120Hz refresh rate which is more than impressive as well.
The Weight And Bulk
As you can imagine and see from the photos and videos, the ROG II is not a piece of cake. That is completely understandable as Asus had to cram in all the necessary hardver to make the fastest phone on the market.
It’s both large and heavy, weighing 240 grams, which is about 16 grams heavier than iPhone 11 Pro Max. Asus at least justifies its weighty build with a 6000 mAh battery.
The ROG 2 Phone is a large presence, whether it’s in your pocket or your hands. Yes, two hands.
The Price
But your pocket will suffer not only because of the weight of the phone but also the price. The $900 price tag plus another $1100 if you want the swanky suitcase with accessories is nothing to sneeze at. The ROG 2 is not meant for the casual phone user anyway. If you buy this beast you are most likely in the top 1% of power-users.
There is always the bragging right of owning the fastest phone on the market.
Other Noteworthy Features
One of them is definitely the AirTriggers feature. While you’re in-game in landscape mode, there are two touch-sensitive areas near the power and volume buttons that act like triggers on a controller. How cool is that?
It has three USB-C ports: one on its bottom and two along its side. Two of them can be used to charge the phone, while the other is exclusively for Asus’ accessories, and it’s marked orange to indicate that. It’s thoughtful of Asus, especially since this is primarily a gaming phone, to mount a USB-C charge port in a place that won’t distract you while you’re playing games in landscape mode.
To buy a beast like this and not use it to play video games would not make any sense. The fastest phone on the market is a complete overkill for everyday users with its bulk and weight but also performance. You don’t really need 120 Hz to look at food photos on Instagram. Although I am a bit jelly over the battery.
